This document discusses blood transfusion in animals. It covers the basics of blood transfusion including indications, components transfused, blood typing and donor selection. It then discusses specific details regarding canine, feline, equine and bovine blood groups. It also covers cross-matching, collection sites, dose calculation, transfusion procedures and potential complications. The key aspects are blood typing and donor selection to avoid transfusion reactions, and monitoring for side effects during and after transfusion.

1. Blood transfusion in
animals
Dr Vinodh Kumar O.R
Senior Scientist
ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute
Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh

2. Introduction
 Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood or
blood products into one's circulation intravenously.
 Used for various medical conditions to replace lost
components of the blood.
 Early transfusions used whole blood, but modern
medical practice commonly uses only components of
the blood, such as red blood cells, white blood cells,
plasma, clotting factors, and platelets.
 A blood typing refers to the presence, absence or
variation of chemicals/antigens on the surface of red
blood cells.

3. Indications/ conditions need
blood tansfusion
 acute hemolysis or hemorrhage;
 acute or chronic anemias
 hemostatic disorders
 The decision to transfuse RBCs is
determined by clinical signs, not by any
pre-selected PCV.

4. Few conditions need transfusion
 Autoimmune hemolytic anemia.
 Surgery.
 Babesiosis.
 Theleriosis.
 Anaplasmosis.
 Blood poisoning.
 Abomasal ulcer.
 Pulmonary Hemorrhages.

5. Canine blood groups
 Over 13 canine blood groups have been described.
 Dogs are routinely typed only for the most potent antigen, DEA
1.1
 Eight DEA (dog erythrocyte antigen) and Dal types are
recognized as international standards.
 DEA 4 and DEA 6 appear on the red blood cells of ~98% of dogs.
 Dogs with only DEA 4 or DEA 6 can thus serve as blood donors
for the majority of the canine population.
 Dogs that are DEA 1.1 positive (33 to 45% of the population) are
universal recipients.
 Dogs that are DEA 1.1 negative are universal donors.
 Blood from DEA 1.1 positive dogs should never be transfused
into DEA 1.1 negative dogs.

6. Feline blood groups
 The most common are A, B, or AB.
 Type A and B cats have naturally occurring
alloantibodies to the opposite blood type.
 The reaction of Type B cats to Type A blood is more
severe than vice versa.
 Simple blood typing test done to determine their
blood type prior to a transfusion or breeding to
avoid the haemolytic disease

7. Equine blood groups
 Eight major recognized blood groups in horses.
Seven of them, A, C, D, K, P, Q, and U, are
internationally recognized.
 Each blood group has at least two allelic factors
(for example, the A blood group has a, b, c, d, e,
f, and g), which can be combined in all
combinations (Aa, Afg, Abedg, etc.), to make
many different alleles.
 horses do not naturally produce antibodies against
red blood cell antigens that they do not possess.
 Universal donors are Aa, Ca, and Qa negative

8. Bovine blood groups
 A, B, C, F, J, L, M, S, and Z
 Clinically important are B and J.

9. Cross-matching
 Crossmatch detects the presence of pre-
existing antibodies that
produce and immediate hemolytic reaction
 Major match
 Minor match

10. Cross matching

11. Blood collection sites

12. Donor Selection
 Free from blood transmitted diseases as
anaplasmosis, equine infectious anemia
etc.
 No history of blood transfusion or
pregnancy.
 Age 1-8 years.
 Genetically related or of same breed.

13. Materials needed for blood
transfusion

14. Dose/volume calculation
 Whole blood:
• 2-3ml/kg of whole blood will raise the PCV by 1%.
 For Dogs:
Donor blood = 80 * Body weight * (Desired PCV- Recipient
PCV/PCV transfused blood)
 For Cats:
Donor blood = 60 * Body weight * (Desired PCV- Recipient PCV/PCV
transfused blood)
 Packed RBCs:
• 1ml/kg of PRBCs will raise the PCV 1%
 Plasma:
• 45ml/kg will raise the albumin 1g/dL.
For clotting factor replacement estimated dosage is: 10-30ml/kg.

15. Blood transfusion procedure
 Verify the expiry date as well as the donor species and blood type.
 Visual inspection to detect any macroscopic abnormalities in color and
consistency.
 Attach the blood transfusion administration set to the blood unit.
 Use a catheter with the largest available diameter.
 Carefully monitor the physiologic parameters and adverse reactions,
including fever, hypotension, urticaria, pruritus, vomiting and shivering.
 Record baseline vital signs before starting the transfusion, then for
15min for the first 45 minutes and for 30min until the end of the
transfusion.
 The initial infusion rate should be approximately 0.25 mL/kg for the first
30 minutes, after which the rate can be increased if no reactions are
seen. The entire
volume should be administered within 4 hours to prevent functional loss
or bacterial growth.
 Check packed cell volume (PCV) 1 to 6 hours after transfusion.

16. Complications of blood
transfusion